Liquid detergents for clothes have been, to this date, nonfluorescent and used mainly for the sake of color care. However, in recent years, as the market for liquid detergents grew, the number of users who mainly use the liquid detergents have increased, and the products appealing higher detergency have also increased. For the sake of detergency appeal, it is thought that not only the removal of dirt but the pursuit of visual whiteness is also necessary in the liquid detergents, as in the powder detergents, by using a fluorescent agent.
In addition, in the field of detergents, a reduction in the amount of detergent composition used, a reduction of waste by reducing the size of a container that contains a detergent composition, or the like has been proposed in recent years as a method for reducing the environmental load, and thus a so-called “concentrated type” with a high surfactant concentration has also been developed for the liquid detergents.
In Patent Document 1, a concentrated liquid detergent composition containing a nonionic surfactant represented by the same general formula as a formula (I) for the component (A) in the present invention as an essential component has been disclosed. An anionic surfactant and a fluorescent agent have been described as optional components.
In Patent Document 2, a concentrated liquid detergent composition containing a nonionic surfactant similar to the component (A) in the present invention which is represented by the formula (I) and an antioxidant as essential components has been disclosed. A fluorescent agent has been described as an optional component.
In Patent Document 3, although not being a liquid detergent of concentrated type, Example 1 regarding a liquid detergent composition containing a nonionic surfactant represented by the same general formula as the formula (I) for the component (A) and a fluorescent agent (unspecified), and Example 3 regarding a liquid detergent composition containing the nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant have been disclosed.
Patent Documents
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 5-222396
[Patent Document 2] WO 2008/001797A2
[Patent Document 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. Hei 5-209191